O.B.'s New Heart

When Jeff Fagan ("Dr. Jefe") began piercing noses in 1994, he says there was one other body piercer in town. During his glory years (1994--'98), Fagan's shop would have 50 to 60 customers per day. When he decided to get out of the business in 2004, there were 100 body piercers in town.

"I would say 25 percent of the population of San Diego has heard of me," says Fagan. "I figured out once we did enough piercings to fill Qualcomm stadium." Fagan made a connection with the rock crowd. "We'd go to Dream Street and Brick by Brick and Winston's and do piercings onstage between bands."

With the June opening of Rock Paper Scissors (Fagan's Ocean Beach store in which 75 vendors sell clothing, artwork, and jewelry), he has bands coming to him. The business, in a former bank on Newport Avenue, has a 16- by 60-foot area Fagan calls "the beach."

Dr. Jefe Turns California Into Hawaii

Photo By Derek Plank

"We brought in sand and palm trees and made it look like Hawaii. If there is a band, we can hold about 100 people." So far, six bands have played there. Event organizers have to hire their own security or pay Fagan to provide it. The space is available for four hours for $100, and Fagan says he can obtain a one-day liquor license for 21-and-up parties.

Matthew Hydar of the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says one-day liquor permits are available through catering companies, but "There is a limit to how many you can get in one year."

Fagan says, "The heart of O.B. used to be the Strand movie theater. It's been remodeled, and now it's a tourist shop. No locals will go in there. I want my shop to be the new heart of Ocean Beach."